Our Story
Hastshilp is a small family run UK-based business, run by Aadil and Megan. Our bespoke designs are drawn by hand in our UK-based studio, and then sent over to our partner team in India to be brought to life. All our products are handmade in a small town in Northern India, where Aadil is originally from, by a family whose skills have been passed down through generations. Ethical and sustainable practices were important to us right from the beginning, as well as ensuring we were educated on the whole process, from sourcing to production and everything in between.
The concept of Hastshilp began when we weren’t able to find many options of rattan home decor pieces for sale in the UK, and almost none that were made in India. Due to a lack of demand and an increase in cheaper machine-made goods, cane craftsmanship is sadly becoming a dying art in India. After generations of hard work, many artisans have been left without a reliable income. We produce our items on a small scale with a steady production, ensuring our artisans will always have work.
We work with independent artisans who work from their own shops and homes. As the skill is passed from generation to generation, we have many families who all work together, skilfully handcrafting each item with the traditional process of cane craftsmanship. By working independently with us, our artisans are able to earn a more than fair wage of living, creating a secure life and future for their families. Keeping a slow but steady production ensures that our artisans will always have work and a stable income.
As each item is handmade, and due to the use of natural materials and the traditional process of working with cane, no two items will be exactly the same. Rather than hiding slight markings and darker spots which occur naturally, we choose to embrace them, and believe this is what makes our items so special and unique.
